The 30 Greatest Movie Speeches Ever

Today, We Celebrate ...The 30 Greatest Movie Speeches, Ever

There comes a time in the life of every young man and woman where the wise words of fictional characters outweighs the actual advice given to them by their parents. What is it about movies that allows the words of a guy like Mel Gibson to inspire you more than the people who literally gave you life?

Whether or not you can answer that question, there's no doubt it's true. It's now more than 20 years (!) since Braveheart was released, and the bit that probably sticks in your mind the most is still William Wallace riding on a horse, yelling at his fellow Scots about freedom.

Today, we're counting down the greatest movie speeches of all time. For years, grandiose film speeches made by high-ranking actors have made their way from the silver screen to a special place in one’s heart to inspire people in some very real ways. In and out of context, these speeches have reached a legacy status that have cemented them as speeches that will be remember for years to come. Ranked, from kinda-greatest to greatest-greatest, let these 30 inspirational film speeches raise your fist in the air and cheer.

Achilles/Brad Pitt in 'Troy'

Honourable mention: It takes some serious acting—serious, serious acting to produce an inspirational quote from Troy. It... just wasn’t a good movie and Brad Pitt as Achilles felt a bit forced, no? As if we were just watching Brad Pitt from from Ocean’s 11 with a blonde wig. However, he’s famous for a reason and can weasel his way into making any role work, so don't blame yourself for having a visceral reaction when you hear him yell “Take it! It’s yours!”

Russell Franklin/Samuel L. Jackson in 'Deep Blue Sea'

Oh, Samuel L. Jackson — so often your pleas for peace among the animal world goes awry. Before there was even one snake on a plane, there was Deep Blue Sea. This ends up as more of a warning (and somewhat of a foreshadowing) to the dangers of the sea — and all that swim in it, but the look on the faces of everyone as Jackson emerges from the shadows to give his two cents in priceless. Of course, no Sam Jackson rant or speech or question or comment is complete without a slow build to a scream riddled with “mothaf*ckin’” The very last shot is (spoiler alert) Jackson getting ripped the hell apart by by a gigantic shark. Still, good speech, Sam.

Rocky Balboa/Sylvester Stallone in 'Rocky Balboa'

Okay, who are we to judge the work of the fantastic Sylvester Stallone, let alone comment on the way he talks. However — it is very damn hard to make out even one word of this speech to his son. So, while this speech is akin to a car trying to start in the dead of winter, it — at least — makes some impact on both the viewers and the character. “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s how about how hard you can get hit and keep movin’ forward...that’s how winning is done.” This isn’t the best Rocky film out there — it’s not even the second or third best, but this speech is dripping with inspiration. While you have to tune out, like 99% of the rest of the movie, this speech gives the viewers a much-needed reminder of the awesomeness of Rocky as a character and a movie. Sylvester is still killin’ it, even though he’s teetering the line between old and deceased.

Frank T.J. Mackey/Tom Cruise in 'Magnolia'

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia is definitely one of his weirder (if not, weirdest) pieces of work and Tom Cruise is the vehicle for that weirdness, case in point being that memorable line: “Respect the c*ck and tame the c*nt.” That’s, er, some unforgettable advice.

Gary Gaines/Billy Bob Thornton in 'Friday Night Lights'

Before Kyle Chandler killed it as Coach Taylor on the Friday Night Lights series, you had Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gary Gaines who — like all good coaches in a sports movie — turns football into a giant metaphor about life. “Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could.” If that doesn’t inspire a team, what will?

Steve Buscemi/Mr.Pink in 'Reservoir Dogs'

Does this count as an inspirational speech or a way to cop out shelling out the shekels for a job you think you could do yourself? Either way, while we don’t advocate not tipping, we’re all about sticking to your guns. Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink never wavers — even for a second — to get his point across. So, while the wrong people may have been inspired, it still counts as a hell of a speech. Never waver from what you believe in, even if it makes you into a huge dick.

Tyler Durden/Brad Pitt in 'Fight Club'

Inspiration has never felt so devious. Tyler Durden unintentionally spoke to an audience full of misfits totally intent on staying misfits. Perhaps that was the point of the speech and, furthermore, the point of the movie: a hardcore decree to keep people from blending in and becoming part of the general masses. From the mouth of Tyler Durden, this point hits home in the second half of the movie when you find out what Durden — by way of Edward Norton — is truly capable of. Spoiler alert: it’s more than peeing into rich people’s soup.

Maximus/Russell Crowe in 'Gladiator'

“If we stay together, we survive.” While this speech keeps it short and sweet, the idea of behind it — gladiators fighting together — rather than against one another is insane in the eyes of everyone Russell Crowe speaks to. At this point, Crowe as Maximus has proven himself (he's already given at least one other rousing speech in the film, too) as the crowd favourite as well as the man who simply cannot be beaten. In one of the final battles, they indeed work together to fight off the opposing forces. The victory and ensuing cheers at the end really gets to you as you realise the other gladiators respect Maximus — something that he’s used to his advantage.

Cyrus/Roger Hill in 'The Warriors'

"CAN YOU DIG IT?!" These iconic words — among the plethora of others produced from The Warriors — comes from the soon-to-be-slayed leader of the gangs of New York (but not thatGangs of New York), Cyrus, before he’s mercilessly gunned down, invoking the gang war to end all gang wars. This inspirational speech, while given in vain, addresses the tension of all the participating gangs and stresses the vital importance of a truce. Of course, while this riles the gangs up, Cyrus’s ultimate demise proves that a truce isn’t exactly feasible. However, it sets up one HELL of a plot as the Warriors — now framed for the murder — have to safely make their way from the Bronx to Coney Island.

Herman Boone/Denzel Washington in 'Remember The Titans'

High school football shouldn’t be a big deal, especially a big enough of a deal to be able to draw comparisons to the Battle of Gettysburg when it comes to the big game. But, when you’re in that graveyard and the music swells, and you hear Denzel tell his team to “take lessons from the dead,” every ounce of your formerly-non-football loving heart makes the switch to a die-hard Titan fan and you finally root for the team that you’ve been feeling iffy about the entire time. No one can deliver an inspirational speech like Denzel Washington—that guy could inspire a nation of angst-ridden teenagers. Remember The Titans is, of course, more than a movie about sports, it’s about a coach who had to do everything he could to inspire a football team that was largely made up of racist little pricks — when he delivered that final speech, his words went farther than any pigskin could.

President Dale / Jack Nicholson in 'Mars Attacks!'

There’s usually a stigma behind movie titles with exclamation points at the end, but I’ll be damned if Mars Attacks! isn’t one of the finest movies in the universe. See what I did there? Jack Nicholson’s incredible “Can’t we all just get along?” speech is just perfect. We’ve got Nicholson as the bruised, battered, and annoyed President James Dale who — after seeing a huge chunk of his staff mercilessly killed by Martians — makes one last plea to those gooey-headed-sons-of-bitches to calm the hell down and end the war between Earth and Mars. Not to give too much away... but Tim Burton cast Jack Nicholson in two roles and both of them are killed off. So, maybe this speech was a tad less inspirational than others in the sense that it ended with a Martian flag impaling him. He gave it a shot, though!

Fortune/Charles S. Dutton in 'Rudy'

Rudy is the underdog sports movie to trump all underdog sports movies. Starring pre-hobbit Sean Astin as the kid who just can’t catch a damn break, you almost make it through the entire movie thinking this dude isn’t going to play football. Then Charles S. Dutton as Fortune lays down the harshness and tells Rudy his life story — especially focusing on the really tough shit — to inspire Rudy to strive for greatness. “I rode the bench for two years,” says the man, as it slowly dawns on Rudy that Fortune was a player who never got his chance at glory because of his skin colour. Damn if that doesn’t just tug at the heartstrings. It’s this speech that inspires Rudy to return to the game and kick everyone’s ass.

Francois Pienaar/Matt Damon in 'Invictus'

In this list, you aren’t going to see a ton of sports movies where the inspirational speech doesn’t happen in the locker room. However, Matt Damon proves in Invictus that a speech can be given on the field, minutes away from the final moments of the game. He looks at his teammates and tells him to listen to the cheering crowd: “Listen to your country!”

Gordon Gekko/Michael Douglas in 'Wall Street'

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." How awesome is it when an inspirational speech is delivered with such passion and fury for a totally unjust cause? Greed is greed, but Gordon Gekko makes it seem like it’s the answer to every question a finance goon could ever have in Wall Street. You can see the influence leaking into Charlie Sheen’s eyes as well as the souls of the surrounding parties, making it pretty obvious as to how Michael Douglas scored the Oscar for Best Actor.

Adenoid Hynkel/Charlie Chaplin in 'The Great Dictator'

The Great Dictator is actually a very important movie as a whole — it stars Charlie Chaplin in his most commercially successful role that actually had the balls to comment on Hitler, Fascism, and the Nazis in an atmosphere when people were too afraid to say anything. The inspirational speech truly speaks volumes and makes it clear of Chaplin’s true feelings towards the threat of the Nazis. He speaks to the world and brainwashed Germans who believed in the words of Hitler at the time. “You are not machines, you are not cattle, you are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don't hate! Only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers! Don't fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!” Chaplin has coconut-sized balls to make such a statement against Hitler and, even though this film was banned in several countries, audiences applauded Chaplin’s effort to fight with film.

Bluto/John Belushi in 'Animal House'

John Belushi is the only person who could have starred in this movie and Bluto’s incredible — albeit historically inaccurate speech — to the Deltas showcased his comedic skills tenfold. "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour? Hell no!" This just proves that even a speech laden with comedy can still be inspirational nonetheless.

Gary/Trey Parker in 'Team America: World Police'

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have satire down cold. Team America was the perfect nod to '90s action films and this final speech almost seemed like it could have been picked out a high-octane explosion-ridden Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. You’ve got so many successful aspects of this speech: comparing good guys to dicks, comparing complainers to pussies, and comparing bad guys to assholes. Perfect. Okay, so obviously it’s a bit ridiculous, but you’ve still got the makings of a hell of an inspirational speech: we’ve got your mussed up protagonist who’s gone to hell and back, a party of disinterested listeners, and the more-than-vital slow clap that erupts into a huge round of applause. Damn it, if American cinema isn’t the best medium in the entire world. Team Americais ridiculous on the service, but it’s still about the journey of a man and that journey is filled with a hell of a lot—explosions, chaos, and dicks. So many dicks.

“Get busy living or get busy dying.” Hell yes. In this shared speech by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, we have Robbins convincing his fellow inmate that they can, and will, make a life for themselves on the outside. Robbins, as Andy Dufresne, makes it clear as day that he’s not going to spend the rest of his life in prison — something that he has to make apparent to Freeman, who’s ready to die in Shawshank. Robbins regales Freeman with his post-escape plans of having a boat and a life in Mexico and how he’ll need a business partner when the time finally happens. Freeman as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding is admittedly scared of the world outside of prison and tells his friend how he doesn’t have the confidence to even dream about escaping: “I don’t think I can make it on the outside, Andy. I’ve been in here most of my life.” However, when he finds that Andy has made a successful escape, Red remembers his words of inspiration and, upon his release, visits Mexico to be reunited with Andy. The final scene is the two working on the boat he talked about so long ago. Is someone chopping onions in here?

Tony D'Amato/Al Pacino in 'Any Given Sunday'

Pacino is such a boss. Any Given Sunday is Oliver Stone’s American football movie that, a) features a crazy amount of A-listers (Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool Charlton Heston, Aaron Eckhart, and Elizabeth Berkley) not even mentioning Al Pacino in the lead role. Pacino plays 30-year veteran Tony D'Amato, who inherits the Miami Sharks, and has to whip them all into shape. And, like any good football movie, does so with a killer speech — not to mention with the help of some fantastic swelling music. Even though it’s not a movie where the “good guys” win at the end, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride for cheering for the Sharks all the way through.

John H. MIller/Tom Hanks in 'Saving Private Ryan'

As John H. Miller, Tom Hanks is the tight-lipped Captain who leads his troop to save (you guessed it) Private Ryan after the invasion of Normandy. At the height of the rescue mission, his soldier start to lose faith in what they’re doing and begin to snap. When Tom Sizemore has his gun pointed at the head of another soldier, Hanks commands everyone’s attention by a simple question: “What’s the pool on me up to right now?” This immediately dispels the anger and draws attention to the Captain, who finally reveals the truth about his character’s backstory, the pool in question being one concerning his past and the job he held before he joined the army. In this speech, there’s no dramatic yelling or anything of the sort — rather simply a man telling a story about his life and why he refuses to abandon this incredibly dangerous mission. At the end, Hanks delivers and his once-wayward crew comes together to indeed (spoiler alert) save Private Ryan.

John Keating/Robin Williams in 'Dead Poets Society'

There’s a reason Robin Williams is on this list more than once. As unorthodox English teacher, John Keating, Williams again shocks audiences by proving he can play the hell out of a serious role and deliver a speech that is still — to this day — quoted. The “Seize The Day” speech has everything you need to feel that bolt of inspiration: a bored English class in a stuffy prep school, a lead character who wants to break the mould, and Robin Williams yelling from atop a desk. “Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, ‘Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.’ Don't be resigned to that. Break out!” If this wasn’t the movie that got you to abandon your inhibitions, we have to ask: what was the movie that did it?

Jefferson Smith/Jimmy Stewart in 'Mr. Smith Goes To Washington'

You just don’t see Jimmy Stewart’s brand of passion in Hollywood anymore. In the legendary 1939 political comedy-drama, Jimmy Stewart plays Jefferson Smith, a wholesome man who’s unknowingly turned into a political stooge by a corrupt Governor. In order to defend himself and the constitution itself, Smith launches into a filibuster that has him talking — literally — for twenty-four hours straight. By the end of it, we have Smith in shambles; sweaty, tired, and on the brink of collapse, defending his rights, opposing a detrimental bill, and pleading with the surrounding senators to believe in his freedom. This is the kind of speech that showcases the vulnerability and range of the character as well as the actor playing that character. It’s no secret that Jimmy Stewart was truly one of the greats, but this filibuster speech inspired those within the movie and the audience alike to truly believe in a man.

Harvey Milk/Sean Penn in 'Milk'

Milk was (obviously) based on a true story and a true speech delivered by Harvey Milk. Milk’s speech spoke to an entire nation and truly meant something: “No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words from the Declaration of Independence.” Milk’s speech at the Gay Pride Rally evokes confidence, patriotism, love, and — most importantly — hate. It calls out an entire subsection of people who thought it was alright to treat the gay population as if they were second-class citizens. Sean Penn’s Oscar was a well-deserved and important trophy for his accomplishments (even if Penn’s track record as a person is a bit spotty) and cemented this film as a hell of an inspirational movie based on a hell of an inspirational guy.

Coach Dale/Gene Hackman in 'Hoosiers'

The locker room pre-game speech is such a Hollywood standard—as it should be. Gene Hackman as Coach Dale could inspire anyone to do anything because you just know he believes in every single word that comes out of his mouth. This 1986 classic led Hackman to a much-deserved Oscar nomination and still managed to make a name for itself in a market saturated by feel-good sports movies.

Sean Maguire/Robin Williams in 'Good Will Hunting'

You usually think of inspirational speeches within the context of a football team on the night before the big game. However, an inspiration speech doesn’t have to be loud and commanding with a huge swell of music and lightning storm in the background. An inspirational speech can come in the form of a story, as Robin Williams proves when he unleashes his emotional AF story about his late wife. This is the kind of inspirational speech that changes an entire character’s arc and changes the tone of the movie. With this speech, Robin Williams, both inspired a character and proved himself (again) as an actor who could handle any kind of role — even a totally serious one.

Patton is a classic American war movie and this speech is arguably the best part of the film. “Thirty years from now, when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you, ‘What did you do in the great World War II,’ you won't have to say, ‘Well... I shovelled shit in Louisiana.’” These are words of wisdom that live on past the film, past the war, past the '70s, and stands to be a hell of a good line to anyone serving in the army or facing a rough time doing anything... unless your job is to literally shovel shit.

Gordon Bombay/Emilio Estevez in 'The Mighty Ducks'

If you were untalented, uncool, overweight, but had guts, you loved Mighty Ducks. Gordon Bombay turned a ragtag group of dopes into a hell of a hockey team and it was this inspirational speech that sealed it. What really separates the Mighty Ducks’ speech from others on this list is the emotional reaction it evokes from the listening party. Hell, nothing beats the feeling of seeing the entire team stand up and proudly exclaim where they’re from. It’s even better when the moment Charlie jukes out the goalie with a "Triple-deke" and beats the Hawks for the state Pee Wee Championship. Plus, what better way to psych yourself up is there by repeating “QUACK!” over and over again. Man, what a killer movie.

Yoda/Frank Oz in 'Star Wars'

Well, you can definitely scratch off the “smallest inspirational speaker” off this list. Yoda is a force to be reckoned with (pun intended) and his quick speech to Luke Skywalker — ”the force is my ally” speaks volumes to his character and connects the entire Star Wars universe. Critics were harsh when the force was described in Episode One by use of midichlorians, but Yoda puts it simply: “Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.” That’s some next level inspiration right there. Even if the idea of the Force and attaining the Force was somewhat ruined, fans can still go back to this scene where Yoda kicks Luke into shape and he raises his X-Wing from that damn swamp with his mind.

President Whitmore/Bill Pullman in 'Independence Day'

This is it, people. Remember when you first saw Independence Dayin cinemas? For two solid hours, you bare witness to those damn aliens kicking the absolute sh*t out of the the world and then — when all hope is lost — we’re finally ready to fight back. It’s Bill Pullman as the President of the United States who gives the final speech to those brave kickers of alien ass (including Randy “Psychopants” Quaid) on July 4. The fact that it all happens on Independence Day make the speech 10 times as powerful, evoking a sense of unfiltered patriotism and pride for, not only America, but the world! Still kind of a surprising feeling getting pumped from Bill Pullman...you know, the guy who got broken up with by Meg Ryan on Valentine’s Day in Sleepless In Seattle. That was a low blow, Meg. Clearly Pullman bounced back — definitely the second-best president in American cinema — the first being Harrison Ford.

William Wallace/Mel Gibson in "Braveheart"

Despite the numerous and glaring historical errors in Braveheart, it goes without saying that this movie is still really damn good. We’ve got everything for a killer speech: a pre-insanity Mel Gibson trotting around on a horse in front of his troops on the eve of a huge-ass battle, and a crowd of people not yet ready to listen to his words. Braveheart’s inspirational speech is the best because it proves that a speech is truly a success when it changes the hearts and minds of those listening. The angry crowd of Scotsmen are, at first, opposed to Williams Wallace’s pleas to fight the English. They’re scared of death, and don’t trust this figure covered in blue paint. However, when Wallace starts giving them reasons to fight, the crowd begins to sway. He seals it with one of many iconic lines: “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom.” Shivers run down your spine when you see that once-stubborn crowd of (again, totally historically-inaccurate) Scotsmen cheering. Damn it, Gibson, you’ve still got it.